The PowerBook 5300 was Apple’s first PowerBook based on a PowerPC CPU. Due to fire problems with the original LithIon battery (which was recalled before it reached the consumer market), plastic chipping from the case, and poor performance (among other things), we label it a Compromised Mac. (It was also the butt of a lot […]
Category Archives: PowerBook
Blackbird was Apple’s code name for a line of PowerBooks based on Motorola’s 68LC040 and 68040 processors. (The LC version draws less power and has no FPU.) The PowerBook 550c was available only in Japan. Differences from the rest of the 500-series include use of regular 68040 (not the stripped down 68LC040), a 750 MB […]
The 33 MHz PowerBook 150 replaced the 25 MHz PowerBook 145b in July 1994. It offered faster performance at a lower price and was the final model in the 140/145/145b/150 line of economical PowerBooks.
Blackbird was Apple’s code name for its first line of PowerBooks based on the 68LC040 processor. (The LC version of the 68040 draws less power and has no FPU.) The 500 series included several firsts: the first portable with a trackpad, the first with a PCMCIA (later PC Card) slot, the first with stereo speakers, the […]
Blackbird was Apple’s code name for a new line of PowerBooks based on the 68LC040 processor. (The LC version of the 68040 draws less power and has no FPU.) The 500 series included several firsts: the first portable with a trackpad, the first with a PCMCIA (later PC Card) slot, the first with stereo speakers, the […]
Apple upped the ante by moving from the 68030 to the 68LC040 processor on the Duo 280 and 280c in May 1994. (The 68LC040 is a low power version of the 68040 with the internal FPU disabled.) Other than the CPU, this is essentially a Duo 270c.
Blackbird was Apple’s code name for its first line of PowerBooks based on the 68LC040 processor. (The LC version of the 68040 draws less power and has no FPU.) The 500 series included several firsts: the first portable with a trackpad, the first with a PCMCIA (later PC Card) slot, the first with stereo speakers, […]
Apple upped the ante by moving from the 68030 to the 68LC040 processor on the Duo 280 and 280c in May 1994. (The 68LC040 is a low power version of the 68040 with the internal FPU disabled.)
Blackbird was Apple’s code name for a new line of PowerBooks based on the 68LC040 processor. (The LC version of the 68040 draws less power and has no FPU.) The 500 series included several firsts: the first portable with a trackpad, the first with a PCMCIA (later PC Card) slot, the first with stereo speakers, […]
Blackbird was Apple’s code name for a new line of PowerBooks based on the 68LC040 processor. (The LC version of the 68040 draws less power but has no FPU.) These PowerBooks introduced a full-sized keyboard with 12 function keys, replaced the trackball with a trackpad, had a 640 x 480 screen, and even had built-in […]
Introduce in October 1993, the Duo 270c added an active matrix 640 x 480 pixel 256-color screen to the Duo 230. With the improved battery, this color Duo could still run for two hours per charge.
Introduced in October 1993, the PowerBook Duo 250 added an active matrix screen to the Duo mix.
The PowerBook 165 was a grayscale version of the PowerBook 165c with a 4-bit, 16-shade passive matrix display.
The PowerBook 180c added an active matrix 256-color screen to the already popular PowerBook 180. The color screen took its toll on the battery, reducing usable life to aboone1 hour.
The PowerBook 145b replaced the PowerBook 145. It offered the same performance at a lower price. It was replaced by the 33 MHz PowerBook 150 in mid 1994.
Essentially a PowerBook 180 with a color display, the 165c brought the first color screen to the PowerBook line. It was also the first notebook computer from any manufacturer with 256 colors on its internal display.
The PowerBook 180 was the first portable Mac with a 4-bit (16-shade) active matrix display. With a 33 MHz CPU and improved screen, it replaced the 25 MHz PowerBook 170 and was in very high demand through its six-month life.
The PowerBook 160 introduced grayscale video to the PowerBook line with its 4-bit (16 shade) internal grayscale video and support for 8-bit (256-color) video on an external monitor with up to 832 x 624 resolution.
Along with the 25 MHz PowerBook Duo 210, the Duo 230 was the first dockable Mac. By eliminating the internal floppy drive (as with PowerBook 100) along with other size and weight saving measures, Apple got this one down to 4.2 pounds.
The PowerBook Duo 210 was the first dockable Mac. By eliminating the internal floppy drive (as Apple had done with the PowerBook 100) along with other size- and weight-saving measures, Apple got it down to 4.2 pounds.
The PowerBook 145 replaced the 16 MHz PB 140, using a 25 MHz 68030 CPU that made it significantly faster than the previous model.
The PowerBook 170 was the only first generation PowerBook to sport an active matrix screen. With a 25 MHz 68030, it was 2/3 faster than the PowerBook 140. Between the faster CPU, faster screen, and addition of a floating point unit, the 170 was nearly twice as fast as the 140. It was replaced by […]
The PowerBook 140 had a physically larger passive-matrix screen than the PowerBook 100 (although it displayed the same 640 x 400 pixels), a more efficient CPU, and a 2-hour NiCad battery (the same one used on all PowerBook models from the 140 to the 180). It was replaced by the 25 MHz PowerBook 145 in […]
The PowerBook 100 was a big step forward from the Mac Portable. First and foremost, it was just one-third as heavy at 5.1 pounds. Secondly, it was several thousand dollars less expensive.
Apple took the “underwhelming” Mac Portable, replaced the non-backlit 9.8″ 1-bit 640 x 400 pixel active matrix screen with a backlit display, increased base RAM to 2 MB or 4 MB, lowered the memory ceiling to 8 MB, and replaced expensive the SRAM (static RAM) chips with less-expensive pseudo-SRAM.
You might not believe the cover from the November 1989 MacUser. They considered the Mac Portable so sexy it was photographed with a swimsuit model for the front cover! (Or maybe so unsexy it needed this treatment.)
